Insulin resistance can impair reduction on carotid intima-media thickness in obese adolescents.

BACKGROUND The atherosclerotic process at the endothelial level begins in early ages and seems to be associated with obesity and its comorbidities as insulin resistance. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to verify the influence of insulin resistance on inflammatory and subclinical markers of atherosclerosis in obese adolescents. METHODS Sixty-six post-pubescent obese adolescents were divided in two groups according to homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) measurement: with insulin resistance (IR) n=39 and without insulin resistance (NIR) n=27, and submitted to an interdisciplinary intervention over the course of 1 year. Common carotid artery intima-media thickness (cIMT), visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue was determined by ultrasound. Body composition, blood pressure, HOMA-IR, lipid profile and adipokines concentrations [leptin, adiponectin, and plasminogen activator inhibitor type (PAI-1)] were analyzed before and after the therapy. RESULTS Both groups presented significant improvements in body composition, inflammatory state (reduction of leptin and PAI-1 concentration; increasing of plasma adiponectin) and reduction of cIMT. Only NIR group showed positive correlation between changes in visceral fat (∆Visceral) and changes in cIMT (∆ cIMT) (r = 0.42; p < 0.05). Simple linear regression analyze revealed ∆Visceral to be an independent predictor to reduction of cIMT in this group (R2 adjusted = 0.14, p = 0.04). The final values of cIMT remained significantly higher in IR group when compared to NIR group. CONCLUSION The presence of insulin resistance can impair changes in cIMT leading to early development of atherosclerosis in obese adolescents submitted to an interdisciplinary intervention..